My introverted, hearing-impaired husband has been acting weird lately. He's glued to his phone all day, refuses kisses, refuses hugs, and goes to bed before 6 PM. Until I secretly checked his phone and found his chat logs with a lawyer. "Mr. Lawyer, if some scumbag is hitting on my wife, what can I do? Can I sue him?" "It's not my wife's fault. She's just being bewitched. The Tarot cards said we'd grow old together. I'm not delusional. I'm not going to bed early because I'm scared she'll bring a man home. The Tarot said she won't divorce me..." "Wait, why are you telling me to prepare for a divorce? I get it now. You want to trick me into divorcing her so you can have her! Keep dreaming, you homewrecker! All men are homewreckers..." 1 After a long day at work, I rubbed my sore shoulders and pushed open the front door. The huge house was cold and empty, save for a dim sconce light in the living room. Obviously, my husband, Liam, had gone to bed early again. This was the fourth time this week he'd gone to sleep without waiting for me. I massaged my temples wearily, stepping into the slippers Liam had handmade for me, and walked into the kitchen. The aroma of food hit me immediately. Just like before, he had made dinner and left it warm on the stove before going to bed. But I had no appetite today. I walked upstairs quietly. Memories of Liam from the past few days flooded my mind. I was always working late, so I missed our morning goodbye kiss—a ritual we promised to keep when we got married. The lunch he packed for me often came back home untouched in my bag because I was too busy to eat. My job in the lab meant I couldn't wear jewelry, including the necklace and earrings he gave me, and even our wedding ring. After work, I went straight to comfort my best friend who was going through a divorce, instead of coming home. Recently, my ex-fiancé returned from abroad and tried to meet me through mutual friends, though I rejected him every time. I shook my head, dismissing my own suspicions. Liam is my ex-fiancé's half-brother. True to his nature, he is sober, introverted, and quiet. A car accident at eighteen left him deaf in both ears. Since then, unable to hear and unwilling to speak much, his status in the family plummeted. He became somewhat submissive. Our marriage was an accident, precipitated by his rebellious brother suddenly calling off our engagement. According to his family's housekeeper... Liam's brother stole all his savings and tried to force him to marry me in his stead. Liam refused resolutely and was beaten half to death by their biased father. The day after, Liam came to me, covered in bruises and blood, yet trying his best to look strong. "I know the person you want to marry is my brother, not a useless mute like me." "I tried, but I really couldn't stop my father. Clara, he hit me so hard..." I watched this man nearly lose his life trying to save my happiness. A tear fell from the corner of his eye, landing right on my heart. My heart clenched instantly. I decided right then and there to marry Liam. After two years together, I knew Liam was a deeply loyal and traditional man at his core. He poured all his energy into his work. If he had problems, he kept them to himself and digested them alone. So, he wouldn't be throwing a tantrum over these trivial matters. With his personality and experience, he'd probably think such behavior was too dramatic. 2 I pushed open the bedroom door. Liam was lying on the bed, back to me. His hearing aids were on the nightstand. His breathing was light, as if he were asleep. But he wasn't someone who usually slept early. For the past two years, he'd keep me up until the early hours almost every night. Only after I hoarsely whispered every sweet nickname I could think of into his ear would he reluctantly let me go. In some aspects, Liam was a beast in sheep's clothing, completely at odds with his cool exterior. I walked softly to the bed and touched his face. Liam turned over just then, eyes closed, his cool, thin lips brushing against my palm. A shiver ran through me. In those few seconds, it felt like he had licked my palm ingratiatingly. I cleared my throat and pushed him. "Liam, wake up." I don't know if he took sleeping pills, but it took several hard shoves to wake him. His soft hair was messy from sleep, his dark eyes moist. Being stared at by his thick, intense gaze made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. "Liam." I suppressed the discomfort. Knowing he reads lips, I leaned close to his face. "Wake up, I have something to tell you." As soon as I said that... Liam's pupils shrank. His body under the quilt trembled uncontrollably as he tried to maintain his composure. I continued, "It's just that recently outside..." "I don't want to hear it right now!" Liam finally snapped out of it, turning his face away expressionlessly, his voice hoarse. My smile froze. I just wanted to share some work troubles. Why this attitude? Now I was even more sure he wasn't mad about trivial things. Because he didn't even want to listen. 3 In the awkward silence that followed... Liam lowered his eyelashes, casting an uneasy shadow under his eyes. When he spoke, his tone was filled with fragile helplessness and pleading, begging for my softness. "Clara, my... my hearing aids are broken." "So can we not talk today? At least wait until I get them fixed..." Oh, so his hearing aids were broken. I paused for a few seconds, then couldn't help but smile. "Okay, let's talk after you fix them. My sign language sucks anyway." Liam stared intently at my lips. Understanding what I said, he took a breath like a survivor of a disaster, his tense shoulders relaxing slowly. I was about to get up but remembered something and sat back down. "By the way, can you go fix them yourself?" "I know a guy who's really good at this. I can take them to him, and he'll have them fixed in a day." Hearing this, Liam suddenly gripped the bedsheet, his knuckles turning white. I reached out my hand. "Give them to me. It'll be quick." Liam was silent for a long time. He struggled to lift the corners of his mouth, trying to smile, but it looked worse than crying. "...One day?" "Is it that urgent? Are you in a rush, or is he in a rush?" "That shameless homewrecker, does he even know..." His voice dropped lower and lower. I couldn't hear clearly. "Liam, what are you saying? I didn't catch that." Liam snapped back to reality, deep regret flashing in his eyes. He shook his head repeatedly. "Nothing, I didn't say anything. I was talking to myself. You wanted to fix my hearing aids?" Liam spoke calmly. He picked up the hearing aids and clenched them in his hand. Veins popped on the back of his hand, and a faint cracking sound came from his palm. I was about to reach out to take them. But Liam let go, and the hearing aids fell to the floor, shattering into pieces. I was stunned. How did they break like that from just falling? Liam lowered his head, his bangs hiding the emotions in his eyes, his voice sounding disappointed. "Oh no, how unlucky. My hand slipped. They're smashed." "Can they still be fixed in a day now?" I scratched my head. "Uh, probably not." Liam pursed his lips, his eyes silently lighting up, showing a faint smile. I bent down to pick up the pieces. "Liam, let's just buy new ones tomorrow." The smile on Liam's face froze. Seeing him silent, I waved my hand in front of him. "Liam, did you understand me? I said we'll get new ones..." "No need!" Liam interrupted me urgently, meeting my eyes then quickly looking away. "Really, no need, Clara." "I'm used to these. I'll find a way to fix them. It just needs a little time." "Clara, give me some time. Let me breathe." At this point... He choked up, swallowing hard with great difficulty. "Please... I beg you." I didn't understand, but I wouldn't force him. "Okay, we'll do it your way." 4 Liam fell silent. It was as if those few sentences had drained all his strength. He seemed to have fallen into an abyss, surrounded by darkness, his breathing slow and heavy. I thought he hadn't slept well, so I stood up. "Alright Liam, you sleep first, I'm going to..." Before I could finish. Liam shuddered and suddenly grabbed my wrist, his grip strong enough to crush bone. I hissed in pain. "Liam, what are you doing?" "Sorry, Clara..." Liam quickly let go, pursing his lips in guilt, blowing gently on my red wrist. "Sorry, does it still hurt?" I looked down at him, my breath hitching. Liam looked incredibly attractive from this angle—curled lashes, red lips. When he spoke, his prominent Adam's apple bobbed up and down. It was so sexy. It was amazing. Liam's appearance hadn't changed a bit in my memory. He was a pretty boy growing up, and now he was a beautiful man. He had always been this good-looking. Not getting an answer, Liam looked up at me, his gaze shattering, his smile desolate. "Clara? Why aren't you talking?" "What are you thinking about? Thinking about things, or thinking about someone?" "Do you think of someone else even when you're with me..." I couldn't hear what he was saying anymore. All I could see were his kissable lips. So, I couldn't resist bending down and kissing him. Liam's eyelashes fluttered violently. He instinctively moved closer, pressing his lips tighter against mine, trying his best to please me. I could feel his breathing quicken, his hands tentatively hugging me, then holding me tighter and tighter. Amidst our intertwined breaths... I vaguely felt a cold drop of liquid land on my collarbone. ...Liam seemed to be crying.
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